~ Illustrations & Odd Facts

scandinavian scandal

Anna Klemens (1718-1800) was a beggar in her village of Horsens, Denmark. She was the last woman lynched for sorcery in all of Scandinavia.

She was beaten to death by a group of 6 men in an effort to “spill her witch blood” after extensive interrogation and torture. Ordering these men to commit this heinous murder was a “cunning woman” aka “quack doctor” named Anna Pauline Holck. Holck travelled from village to village claiming to cure bewitched people.

Holck was executed for the murder (beheaded), and the men were banished (really???).

These beatings were quite common, because legal courts had stopped executing witches in Denmark around 1722. Small towns across the country began taking matters into their own hands- as was the case with Dorte Jensdatter.

I’m going to do some more digging into this Holck woman- she sounds horrible. Intriguing, but horrible.

She was a beggar, a bit of an outcast. I believe Holck profited from accusing women of witchcraft, and Anna really didn’t have anyone close to defend her.
Thank you for the question AND the compliment! 🙂

Nerd is the Word!

I love studying quirky history, so illustrating the people I research makes me one happy nerd girl. Did you know Queen Victoria had Bishopophobia? or that when Elizabeth of Russia died, they found 15,000 dresses in her uh... closet?

It's good stuff- and I plan to illustrate all the royal weirdos I can find.

All illustrations are my personal property- if you'd like to use them, just ask!